(a) Field
The invention relates to a display device and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly, to a display device and a manufacturing method thereof capable of simplifying a manufacturing process.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A display device generally includes a display panel having pixels including switching elements and display signal lines, a gate driver transmitting gate signals to gate lines among the display signal lines to turn on/off the switching elements of the pixels, a data driver applying data voltages to data lines, a signal controller controlling the display panel, the gate driver, and the data driver, and the like.
Among various types of display devices, a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) which is one of the most common types of flat panel displays currently in use, includes two sheets of display panels with field generating electrodes such as a pixel electrode and a common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. The LCD generates an electric field in the liquid crystal layer by applying a voltage to the field generating electrodes, and determines a direction of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer by the generated electric field, thus controlling polarization of incident light so as to display images. Transmittance of the LCD may be increased as the liquid crystal molecules are well controlled.
At least one pixel electrode included in each pixel of the LCD is connected with the switching element connected to the display signal lines such as the gate line and the data line. The switching element, e.g., a three-terminal element such as a thin film transistor, transfers the data voltage to the pixel electrode.
In the LCD, the pixel electrode and the common electrode generating the electric field in the liquid crystal layer may be provided on one display panel with the switching element. At least one of the pixel electrode and the common electrode of the LCD may include a plurality of branch electrodes. When the electric field is generated in the liquid crystal layer, alignment directions of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are determined by a fringe field generated by the branch electrodes.